The Enemy of My Friend
by JenRar
Summary: When something happens at Stephanie's apartment, who gets the blame? Babe story. Rated M for language & violence and lemons. Now edited & re-posted.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: JE owns them. I do not._

~oooOOOooo~

**The Enemy of My Friend**

~oOo~

**Chapter 1  
Stephanie's POV**

I parked my latest POS car beside the dumpster and stomped up to my apartment. My shoulders felt heavy, and I didn't think it was just the garbage I was covered in; it felt like I was carrying the weight of the world, and I was tired of it. Things were going to have to change soon because it was slowly driving me insane. Once inside the apartment, I picked up the phone and called Ranger.

"Yo," he answered in a soft, yet commanding voice.

"Yo, yourself," I replied, smiling for the first time in hours.

"Babe."

"Ranger." I don't know why I was teasing him, but it made me giggle. "Whatcha up to, Batman?"

"Just finishing up some paperwork. You clean yet?"

I rolled my eyes. It figured that he'd heard about the latest incident. "How'd you hear?"

"Hal was just pulling up at the station when you came out after dropping off the latest skip."

_Ah, Hal_, I thought, growling. "I'm just about to get in the shower." I bit my lip, knowing I was—

"Playing with fire, Babe," Ranger interrupted my thoughts in his smoldering voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry." I sighed. "Want to pick up Pino's and come over for dinner and a movie? I just want to take a shower, curl up on the couch in my PJs, and veg out for the evening. I'd love some company."

"Sure. Give me thirty minutes," he said before abruptly hanging up.

I glared at the phone in my hand. Criminy, he had the phone manners of a...well, I didn't know what, but whatever it was, he had none! Looking at the clock, I squeaked, knowing that it would take me almost thirty minutes just to get all the gunk out of my hair. I tossed the phone onto the counter and rushed into the bathroom.

Twenty-five minutes later, I walked out of the bathroom and straight into a warm, hard chest. "Oh shit! Geez, Ranger, make some noise, will you? You scared me!"

"Babe—" he started.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I should be more aware of my surroundings." I rolled my eyes.

"Well, I was going to say that you should probably pick up the towel you dropped, but that, too." He smirked.

"Eep! Go! I'll be out in a minute," I said, shoving him toward the door.

I watched as he looked me up and down slowly, his eyes darkening before he walked back to the living room.

I threw on a pair of boxers and a black T-shirt, both of which I'd pilfered from Ranger's apartment one of the times I'd stayed overnight. After running a brush through my hair, I pulled it into a messy ponytail and walked into the living room, crashing on the couch beside the man himself.

"Here, Babe." Ranger handed me a beer and a plate with a couple of pieces of my favorite pizza.

I mumbled a thanks around my first bite, eating the first piece before I said a word. "Perfect," I told him before starting the second piece. "Whatcha want to watch?"

"Your choice." From the way he was watching me, I had a feeling he might not actually see most of the movie.

Blushing, I stood up and grabbed a movie from the stack on my entertainment cabinet. I popped _Mr. and Mrs. Smith_ into the DVD player, grabbed the remote, and settled into the couch again. "Been a while since we watched this one," I commented around my third slice.

A few minutes into the movie, we finished dinner and settled comfortably against the back of the couch. Ranger grabbed the remote and paused the movie. I looked up at him, seeing questions in his eyes.

"What's up with you and the cop?"

I sighed. _Guess he heard about the fight at the station today..._

"Babe," he said, sounding amused.

"Oh, I said that out loud, didn't it?" He nodded, and I rolled my eyes. "I don't know. I think I'm done. I've really had it. He yelled, again, about my job and how bad I was at it. Told me I just needed to quit and move into his house so we could plan the wedding and our life together." I shrugged. "I told him to shove it and left."

Ranger chuckled and pulled me tighter against his side. He pressed play, and we continued watching the movie. A few minutes later, he picked me up and moved slightly. He lay down on the couch on his side, facing the television, and then he pulled me down in front of him. My back was plastered to his front, and I could feel every delicious hard inch of him against me. The last thing I remembered before falling asleep was the feel of his hand rubbing soft circles on my stomach, just under the edge of my shirt.

~oOo~

I jerked awake after hearing the loud sound of glass breaking, but didn't have time to move before I heard and felt an explosion. The force of it threw me off the couch and across the room. I smelled smoke and heard the crackle of fire, but was only able to call out, "Ranger!" before something hard fell onto my head and blackness descended over me.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer still applies._

~oooOOOooo~

**Chapter 2  
Ranger's POV**

Heat.

Flames.

Silence.

Everything and nothing was registering to my subconscious as I began climbing out of the darkness. It took me only a moment to remember where I was and what had happened, and in that moment, my heart nearly stopped. I'd been thrown to the floor when Stephanie's apartment had exploded. _Dios! Babe! Where is she?_ I thought frantically.

Just seconds later, I realized I was resting on the ground with my back against the dumpster in Stephanie's parking lot, the woman herself unconscious in my arms. We were somewhat hidden between the dumpster and Stephanie's latest vehicle, so I must have collapsed here once I'd gotten the two of us outside. I quickly took stock of my own injuries, noting a huge bump on the back of my head and a throbbing in my leg. After trying to flex it gently, my knee twinged; after many experiences in the field, I knew I'd most likely popped the kneecap out of joint. It was a wonder I'd made it down the stairs and outside, especially carrying an unconscious Stephanie.

I ran one hand gently over Steph's head, feeling a lump to match my own on the back of hers, and then looked over her body. One arm and a leg were twisted at an odd angle, and I could tell right away they were both broken. No bones were poking out of the skin, though, so hopefully the breaks weren't too bad. I heard the screech of tires and then the pounding of feet as voices began barking orders.

Tank's deep voice pierced the darkness. "Santos, Hector, secure the perimeter. The rest of you, with me!"

"Tank!" I called out quickly.

There was a sudden silence before the feet began moving our way. I raised my head long enough to see Tank and the rest of my men rushing toward us, and then darkness took over once again.

~oOo~

_*beep*_ _*beep*_ _*beep*_

Fuck, my head was throbbing. I pried my eyes open and realized I was staring up at a blank white wall. Where the hell was I? I must have made some noise, because the next thing I saw was Tank's face as he leaned over me.

"Relax, Rangeman. You're okay."

"Water," I croaked out quietly.

He reached over and grabbed a small cup, holding it out with the straw at my lips. I took a sip and nodded my thanks, wincing when the movement sent a sharp pain through my head.

"What happened?"

"Do you remember anything?"

I closed my eyes for a second, thinking quickly, and then they shot open when I remembered what had happened. "Stephanie? Where is she? Is she okay?" I tried to sit up and hissed when I moved my leg.

"Woah, sit! I'll have the doctor come in and knock you out if I have to, man." He waited until I was sitting quietly, giving him a cold stare, before continuing. "Steph is okay, man. She's in the room next door. Santos is with her. She's still unconscious: broken arm, broken leg, concussion, and a bit of smoke inhalation. The doctors think she'll be just fine. Tell me what happened so I can call the nurse in."

I closed my eyes, swallowed hard, and thought back to what I could remember. "She invited me over..." I shook my head slightly. "What day is it?"

"Saturday. The explosion happened about six hours ago."

"Okay, she invited me over for dinner and a movie last night. We fell asleep on the couch while watching the movie. Next thing I know, I heard the window in Stephanie's room crash open, and we were both thrown off the couch when the explosion happened. Bomb?"

"Yeah. Don't know much about it yet. The place was destroyed. We haven't been able to get in and look around; the fire marshall won't be letting anyone in for a couple more hours, once everything is stable."

"Casualties?" The middle of the night, all the elderly people in Steph's building...

Tank cleared his throat. "Old couple just under Steph were killed by the explosion. The guy across the hall died of smoke inhalation. He'd taken out his hearing aid, so he didn't hear you pounding on the door, trying to get everyone out."

I raised an eyebrow. "Don't remember doing that..."

"Oh, yeah, Mrs. Bestler—ya know, the elevator lady—told us quite animatedly that you rushed Stephanie outside and then came back in and started knocking on as many doors as you could, trying to get everyone out."

After hearing it from Tank, I vaguely remembered doing that, but everything was pretty much a blur. "Okay. Who threw it?"

He shook his head. "Dunno, man. You'll know when I do." He walked to the door. "Sit still. Gonna get the doc."

~oOo~

A few minutes later, I'd already had enough poking and prodding to last me a lifetime. The doctor refused to be intimidated by the looks I was shooting him, so I finally gave up and tried to relax.

"Okay, Mr. Manoso, everything looks good. You've got a minor concussion, and we had to pop your kneecap back in place, both of which you already knew. Just take it easy for a while, wear the brace, and you should be okay. There wasn't any break, just the dislocation. Your colleague told me you've had a concussion before, so you know the drill. I'll leave a prescription with you for some pain medication since your knee will be painful for a while. Any questions?"

"When can I be released?" I snarled.

"I'm assuming you won't be alone?" When Tank and I both shook our heads, he nodded. "I'll go prepare your release papers now."

"Good. Any updates on Ms. Plum?" I fisted the blanket in my hands tightly.

"Are you family?"

"Mr. Manoso is listed as her next-of-kin, doctor," Tank explained patiently.

"Oh, yes, well, she's stable. She broke both the radius and ulna in her left arm, just above her wrist, as well as the tibia in her right leg, just above her ankle. She has a grade three concussion and is still unconscious. We didn't find any bleeding into her brain, and aside from some bruised ribs, there was no other internal trauma. Both of you have some smoke inhalation, although hers is very minor."

"Why is she still unconscious?"

"I can't tell you exactly, but I believe it's simply her body's way of helping her cope and recover. I anticipate that she'll be awake anytime now."

I nodded. "Thank you. Have the discharge papers brought to me over there. I'll be staying with her until she's released."

"All right. Please let one of the nurses know if you have any questions or concerns."

Once the doctor had left the room, Tank handed me a bag. "Ella brought over some new clothes and stuff. You need to shower before I take you over to Steph's room."

I started to protest, but realized I smelled like smoke. Giving him one quick nod, I took the bag and settled into the wheelchair he'd wheeled beside the bed. Once he had me beside the shower, I put a hand up. "I got it from here. Go get me an update on everything."

~oOo~

After I was clean and the smell of smoke was gone, I carefully wrapped my knee back up and pulled on the clean sweatpants and T-shirt Ella had packed. I pulled my hair back with a new leather tie and then wheeled myself out into the room. Tank was sitting in the chair beside the bed, waiting for me.

He sniffed. "Well, don't know how you feel, but you certainly smell better."

"Shut it. Take me to Stephanie and tell me what you've found out."

As we made our way the short distance to my Babe's room, Tank filled me in on the latest. I felt my anger grow once I learned the truth about the bomber and knew that if I ever got my hands on—

"Come on, man. I'm not taking you inside that room if you aren't calm. She doesn't need that anger right now, Ranger."

I took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm ready."

After nodding at the men guarding her door, Tank wheeled me in and parked me right beside her bed.

"Thanks. Go on and take care of things out there. I'm assuming her parents have been called?"

"Yeah, I told her father she was unconscious and needed peace and quiet. He agreed to keep her mother and grandmother home until she woke up and was ready for visitors."

"Thanks. Go find him, Tank. I don't care what it takes."

Tank nodded and left the room quietly. I picked up her right hand, holding it tenderly in mine, and then brushed one hand gently over her forehead and down her cheek.

My heart clenched as I watched her lie there silently. "Babe," I murmured, my voice still thick from all the smoke.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer still applies._

~oooOOOooo~

**Chapter 3  
Stephanie's POV**

_*beep*_ _*beep*_ _*beep*_

_Oh crap,_ I thought as I became aware of things around me. _I'm in the hospital. Again. What happened this time?!_ I started trying to move and then cried out softly when every movement hurt.

"Babe," Ranger's voice said quietly. "Calm down. Shh, _querida_. I'm here. You're okay."

I slowly peeled my eyes open, still unsure about what had happened. "Ran—" I tried to swallow, but my throat felt clogged.

Before I could try to talk again, Ranger held up a cup to my lips and let me take a long sip of water through the pink bendy straw coming out of the top.

"Ranger," I whispered. "What happened?"

He set the cup down on the table beside me and took my hand in his again. "What do you remember last, Babe?"

"Umm..." I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to think of the last thing I could remember. "We had Pino's and started watching a movie. Oh! I fell asleep. Why am I in the hospital?" Then my eyes saw the wheelchair he was sitting in and my voice pitched higher. "Ranger! What happened to you? Why are you in that thing?"

"Shh, Stephanie. Babe, calm down. I'm okay. I dislocated my knee, so I'm stuck in this for the moment. I'm fine." He waited until my breathing had gotten back to normal before continuing. "We were asleep on your couch when a bomb was thrown through your window. You were knocked unconscious, and I carried you outside. You broke your arm and leg when you were thrown against the wall and have been unconscious for about nine hours, Babe. The doctor said you should be fine."

"A bomb? Oh God! What about my neighbors?" Rex had been spending the week with Angie and Mary Alice, so I didn't need to worry about him.

"Stephanie, just rest for now. We can talk more later." He reached up to push the call button, and less than a minute later, an older nurse quickly walked into the room.

"Oh! Ms. Plum, it's good to see you awake. How are you feeling? How's the pain? How's your breathing?"

"Umm, I'm all right. The pain is okay. It hurts a bit to breathe, but not too bad."

"Okay, just let me know when you start hurting, and you can be given some more pain medicine. You have a few bruised ribs, so breathing will likely be a bit uncomfortable for a while until those heal. If you start to have trouble breathing, let us know immediately. I'll go get the doctor so he can check you over."

I nodded and watched as she made her way back out of the room. "Okay, spill it," I demanded to Ranger.

As he explained about Mr. Wolesky from across the hall and the Gaccione's downstairs, my heart broke. Sure, Mr. Wolesky's television was always playing too loud, but all three of them were just innocent old people I'd gotten killed. I began to cry, sobs wracking my body.

"Babe, it wasn't your fault. You didn't cause this. Nothing you did caused their deaths. Please, Stephanie, don't cry." Ranger stood up, scooted me over, and climbed into the bed beside me, wrapping me up carefully in his arms.

After my sobs had quieted, I looked up at Ranger, who was watching me with hooded eyes. "Who did this, Ranger?" I whispered. "Who hurt you and killed those poor people?"

"His name is Johnny Carlucci."

I shook my head. The name meant nothing to me.

"Remember a few months ago when Morelli made that big bust?"

This time, I nodded, remembering how he'd crowed about it for weeks.

"Carlucci's brother went down in the bust and got sent to prison. He was killed last week while serving his time." Ranger took a breath and then continued. "Johnny was looking to get even with Morelli and thought the best way to get to him would be through you."

I sat there numb for several minutes, feeling nothing but Ranger's arms around me, and then started laughing quietly. When I looked at Ranger's face and saw the shock, I laughed even harder, causing Lester to poke his head into the room.

"Everything okay, Beautiful? Boss?"

"Everything's fine, Les," I told him with a giggle. "Just had a funny thought."

He looked at me for a second and then closed the door again.

"Babe," Ranger said quietly, looking at me with interest. "What's so funny about that?"

All the activity had worn me out, and I quickly closed my eyes. Just as I was on the verge of sleep, I remembered I hadn't answered Ranger's question. I told him, "All this time, you've been sending me back to Joe because you thought your enemies would use me. Instead, it's one of Joe's that nearly kills us both." I pulled myself back from sleep long enough to finish my thought. "See, Batman? Only with you can I feel completely safe."

That thought was the last I had before the darkness pulled me under.

~oooOOOooo~

**Ranger's POV**

To say I'd been stunned speechless by Stephanie's thoughts before she fell asleep would be an understatement. The danger to her because of my enemies was indeed the main reason I'd always told myself we couldn't have a relationship. When Tank told me about Carlucci, I hadn't even thought about it being Joe's enemy, not mine, that had nearly killed her. I'd been too worried about her to even think about that sort of thing. Until she brought it up...

I closed my eyes and relaxed on the bed beside her, knowing she'd given me a hell of a lot to think about. Could I be what she needed? What she deserved? _Mi Dios,_ I knew I wanted to be. There was nothing I wanted more than to be the man—the _only_ man—in Stephanie's life. Could I trust myself to keep her safe?

Grabbing my phone, I dialed Tank's number and began talking as soon as he answered the phone. "Stephanie was awake, but she's asleep again now. Go ahead and call her parents. Fill her father in on who the bomber is and tell him if they want to see her, he needs to make a few rules about how her mother will have to behave. No nagging at all about her job or the cop. She doesn't need that from anyone, especially right now."

I hung up the phone, knowing Tank would follow my order to the letter. I then curled up tighter against Stephanie, careful of her injuries, and closed my own eyes. I knew we'd both be woken up by the doctor and then her family in a short time, so I wanted to take every minute I could to rest with my Babe.

~oOo~

"Woooh, look at the hot package in bed with my baby granddaughter!"

I cracked open one eye when I heard Steph's grandmother's voice cackling from the doorway.

"Mother!" Mrs. Plum sounded exasperated but tried to stay quiet so as not to wake up her daughter. "Come in and behave yourself."

I slowly opened my eyes and eased back from Stephanie slightly, turning in the bed to see Stephanie's family. "Mr. and Mrs. Plum. Mrs. Mazur," I said in way of a greeting.

"Hello, Ranger," Frank said quietly. "How is she?"

"She's holding her own," I answered just as quietly. "She fell asleep about thirty minutes ago. She woke up enough to talk to the nurse about how she was feeling and to me about what happened and then fell asleep. Sleep is the best thing for her right now, but she would want to see you."

I carefully climbed out of the bed and back into the wheelchair, which roused Stephanie from sleep. "Mmm, Ranger, come back, please."

I chuckled. "Babe, wake up. Your parents and grandmother are here, Steph. Wake up, _querida._"

She shot up, groaning in pain, and blushed. I could tell she was embarrassed about asking me to come back into the bed, but the pain overrode her embarrassment.

"Oh, dammit!" She fell back to the bed, holding her ribs with her unbroken arm. Tears leaked from her eyes and fell down her cheeks.

"Babe, shhh. Stay still and the pain will go away. Frank, could you go ask the nurse to bring in some more pain medicine, please?"

He nodded and slipped out the door.

Stephanie's mother and grandmother moved up to the other side of the bed. "Oh, Stephanie! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you hurt yourself more," her mother said gently. "Would you like us to come back later?"

Stephanie shook her head and opened her eyes. "I'm okay. My ribs hurt a lot when I sat up, but it's going away."

"How are you feeling otherwise? Ranger's man called us and explained your injuries, but how are you really feeling now?"

"I'm okay, I think. I need the pain medicine, but I'm okay."

I took Stephanie's hand in mine and placed it back on the bed. "I'm going to go out to the hall and talk to the guys. I'll be right outside if you need anything, Babe."

"Thank you," she murmured, smiling softly at me.

~oOo~

A minute later, I was sitting outside Stephanie's room. Frank and Stephanie's doctor went into her room, nodding at me in greeting. I wanted to wheel myself back into the room to hear what the doctor was telling them, but I continued talking to Tank.

"Has he been found?" I asked quietly.

Tank shook his head. "Not yet. We have a fairly good idea as to where he is, though. We have some people keeping an eye out for him. Once we find him, we'll grab him and take him back to RangeMan until you can get there."

I nodded. "Good enough for now. Any word from Morelli?"

"Not a thing. I talked to Eddie, who came by with Carl and Big Dog to ask about Steph, and he said Morelli knows about the bombing, but they don't think he knows the who or why yet. He's been working on another case."

"You've kept it quiet about finding the note on her car?"

"Yeah, I wanted to wait and talk to you before I told the cops."

"Thanks. Now that Stephanie's awake, go ahead and grab Carlucci when you find him. Once we have him, we'll turn the note and Carlucci over to the cops."

"Got it, Boss."

Just as Tank was finished speaking, the doctor came out into the hall. I wheeled over to him.

"How is she?"

"She's doing much better. Her ribs were hurting quite a bit, and her arm and leg were beginning to hurt, so I gave her some more pain medicine. It may knock her out, which is fine, but if it doesn't, that's all right, too. The nurse will check her in two hours because of the concussion. If everything goes well, I should be able to discharge her tomorrow."

I nodded in thanks and then wheeled myself into the room. Stephanie's eyes were beginning to droop closed.

Frank moved away from the side of her bed to make room for me.

"Ranger," she said quietly, smiling over at me. She reached her hand out, and I took it, squeezing gently.

"I'm here, Babe. Sleep if you need to. I'll be here when you wake up."

As soon as she was sleeping, her mother looked over at me. "Thank you for saving my daughter, Ranger. Your men told us how you got her out quickly and helped to save as many people in the building as you could. We're so very grateful."

I nodded. "I'd do it all over again if I had to."

"I wish she hadn't been hurt as badly as she was, but she's safe and will be okay, and that's what matters," Mrs. Plum responded, smiling down at her youngest daughter. "We'll go now. Please tell her to call us if she needs us, and please, tell her to bring you over for dinner once you're both feeling better."

I chuckled as Frank led the women out of the hospital room, and then I stood up and carefully climbed into the bed beside Stephanie again. I was tired and knew there was nowhere else I'd rather be at that moment than beside her.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer still applies._

~oooOOOooo~

**Chapter 4  
Stephanie's POV**

I woke up sometime later when the nurse came in to check on me.

Ranger carefully slid out of bed and into the wheelchair. "I'll be right back, Babe. I'm gonna go check in with Tank. How about some donuts when I come back?"

"Mmm, that'd be good." I licked my lips, thinking of the sugary goodness.

"Babe." He laughed before wheeling himself out of the room.

I was flipping through channels on the TV when my door burst open and Joe stormed in, already working on a full head of steam. Woody and Zero ran in behind him and grabbed his arms to prevent him from coming closer to me.

"Let me go, assholes!" Joe was fighting to get away from them.

I sighed. "It's okay, guys. Let him go. Joe won't hurt me. You'll be able to hear me if I need you."

I smiled my thanks as they released his arms, gave him a look, and then stepped back outside. I noticed they didn't close the door fully, just in case I needed them.

"Fuck, Stephanie! You were almost killed. Again! This damn job will be the death of you, you know that, right?" Joe was screaming again, although he was trying to keep it a bit quieter—we were in the middle of the hospital, after all.

I raised my voice so he could hear me over his ranting and said firmly, "_Joe!_ Stop. I have a question for you."

"What?" he snarled, still so upset that he was almost purple.

"I've been in the hospital for almost eighteen hours. Why is it that you are just now coming to see me? Oh, and I'm doing fine, by the way," I said, rolling my eyes.

Joe sighed and shrugged. "I was working a case over on Stark Street. I heard from Eddie that you were okay, so I figured it could wait until I wrapped up my case."

When I didn't say anything, he began to yell again. "Besides, Cupcake, if you were home where you belong, married to me and having babies, I wouldn't _have_ to worry about you! You need to stop playing around at being a bounty hunter, stop hanging out with Ranger and his band of thugs, and—"

That's when I decided I'd definitely had enough. "I'm done, Joe," I said calmly. "Insult me and the way I do my job all you want, but I've told you before, you do _not_ get to insult my friends. I can't do this anymore."

I watched Ranger wheel himself into the room and up to the side of my bed before I continued. "I can't be with someone who claims to love me but continually puts me down and only wants me to be who _he_ wants me to be. I don't want to quit my job. I don't know if I'll ever want to get married or have kids. I like my life, Joe. I like my job. Most importantly, I love my friends. Ranger and his men are more than my friends. They're my family. I love you, Joe, but I don't love you like I lo—" I stopped myself before I could admit my feelings for Ranger. "I love you, but not the same way you love me."

"Stephanie, you don't mean that. You're just upset about nearly getting yourself killed." He looked at Ranger and sneered. "Or was it one _his_ enemies that almost blew you to bits yesterday?"

I sighed and reached over to take Ranger's hand in mine. "I do mean that, Joe. There's something you should know." I looked over at Ranger. "Show him the copy of the note, please."

~oooOOOooo~

**Joe's POV**

I watched Manoso pull a piece of paper off the table beside Stephanie's bed and lean over to hand it to me. I took it and began reading, feeling my heart jump into my throat as I read.

~oOo~

_Morelli,_

_You remember Tony? You put him in prison and he got killed. You're the reason he's dead. You caused me and my family pain when we lost one of our own, so now, you're going to learn what it feels like to lose one of yours. I hope your pretty little girlfriend's funeral is a beautiful one. Maybe you'll even find enough of her to bury._

~oOo~

I swallowed hard and began shaking. Oh, God, _I_ had done this, not her. Not even _him_. I felt sick to my stomach. I'd come in here yelling about her job and Ranger almost getting her killed. This time, it was _my_ past, _my_ job, not hers.

I looked up, saw her hand in his, and realized then that I'd already lost her. "I'm sorry, Steph. I'm sorry my job put you in danger. Most of all, I'm sorry I blamed you...that I always blame you." I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and my temper and then looked back up at Manoso. "You love her?"

I watched as he looked down into her eyes and smiled. That look, that tender smile, was one I'd never seen on his face before. He stroked her cheek with one finger softly and then looked straight into my eyes as he stated, "Yes."

I nodded once. "Be happy, Cupcake."

Then I turned and walked away.

~oooOOOooo~

**Stephanie's POV**

I lay there and stared up at Ranger as he stroked my cheek. I hadn't been able to look away since he'd told Joe that he loved me. It barely registered to me when Joe walked out of the room; the only thing that alerted me to the fact was the door clicking closed behind him.

"Ranger?" I asked softly. When he nodded, I continued. "In your own way, right? I mean, I understand why you didn't tell that to Joe; no need to give him some kind of hope to latch onto. It's okay. I just wanted you to know that I understood and I appreciate your help with Joe. I've tried to get him to let me go, but it didn't seem to be sinking in. Maybe this time, he'll actually get the message."

I knew I was babbling, but I couldn't seem to stop. I was simply trying to keep talking so Ranger couldn't get a chance to tell me he'd lied to Joe, to tell me again that he loved me in his own way and that his love came with a condom and not a ring.

"Stephanie," he said just as quietly.

The use of my entire first name shut me up quickly.

"Listen to me, Babe." He waited until I nodded, keeping my full attention on him. "I didn't lie to you three years ago when I told you those things. At the time, I was still under contract to the government. I didn't want to settle down and get married only to have to turn around and leave my wife home alone with the possibility of becoming a widow."

"But—"

He placed a finger against my lips to shut me up. "One thing, though. You didn't understand what I meant when I said I loved you in my own way. Maybe at the time, I meant it like it sounds, I don't know, but Babe, my way? It's completely. To quote that damn _Twilight_ book Julie forced me to read, I've fallen unconditionally and irrevocably in love with you. If you'll let me, I'll spend the rest of my life proving that to you."

My eyes welled up with tears. "You aren't just saying that because I'm stuck here in the hospital?"

He leaned down and brushed his lips across mine. "Babe, when have you ever known me to do or say something 'just because'?"

I smiled. "True." Ranger was nothing if not direct and honest.

"Babe, if you need time to sort out your feelings or time on your own, I can—"

This time, _I_ was the one interrupting _him_. I shook my head. "I don't need time, Ranger." I tangled my fingers into his hair and pulled him down until his lips were hovering over mine, and then I whispered, "Three years is long enough to wait, don't you think?"


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer still applies._

~oooOOOooo~

**Chapter 5  
Ranger's POV**

I was curled up on the couch in our apartment with Stephanie sitting on my lap. Tank, Lester, Bobby, and Vince were sitting around the living room with us. We'd just finished lunch and were relaxing before the guys went back to work. Vince had been Stephanie's partner on many of her skips before the bombing. He'd been hanging out with us quite a bit, keeping Steph from going too stir-crazy.

"So then the woman asks him to dance, right? Santos is all, 'Oh, yeah, baby, let's dance!' and takes her out to the dance floor." Lester was glaring at Vince, but Vince just laughed and continued. "Two or three minutes later, he comes storming back to the table, looking green around the edges."

"Why? What happened?" Steph looked at Lester, trying to raise one eyebrow in question.

Lester visibly blanched at the memory.

"We got, uh, really close on the dance floor and I suddenly felt something hard poking at the front of my jeans. From under the dress. _His_ dress," he said, cringing.

"Oh crap! She was a man?!" Stephanie screeched, dissolving into laughter as Lester hung his head and nodded. "Les, I didn't know you swung that way!"

His head popped up and he grinned almost evilly. "Give me half a chance and I'll prove to you which way I swing," he said confidently.

"Mine," I snarled, wrapping my arms around Stephanie and pulling her against me.

Everyone else laughed until Tank's phone rang. By the lyrics from the Pussycat Dolls' _Don't Cha_ coming out of the speaker, we all knew it was Lula calling.

Tank rolled his eyes. "That woman needs to stop messin' with my phone," he growled as we laughed.

He flipped the phone open. "Hey, baby, what's up?"

He immediately stilled, a cold, hard look coming over his face.

"What's going on? Is Lula okay?" Stephanie asked quickly.

He nodded absently at her and then turned his attention back to the phone. "You're sure? Ten minutes ago? Okay, thanks, baby. Tell Shondra to stay away." He paused. "No, you stay away, too. We'll be there in less than half an hour. Call you later."

He hung up the phone.

"Carlucci?" I asked, although from his body language, I already knew the answer.

"Lula's old friend just called her and told her she saw Carlucci inside an apartment on Stark Street," he told me.

Turning to Lester, Bobby, and Vince, he said, "Let's move. Grab your gear. I'll grab Hector and Cal." They jumped up and ran for the door.

"We'll call you," he said over his shoulder to me. "Call Morelli and tell him we'll pick him up at the station in fifteen."

"Fuck," I whispered harshly.

Stephanie's hand came up and cupped my cheek. "I'm sorry you can't go with them, Ranger," she said softly.

That was all it took to take my anger away. "I'm not, Babe. I'm right where I want to be. You want to call Morelli or do you want me to?"

She shrugged and smiled. "Go ahead. I'm comfortable and happy. I don't want him to ruin my happy."

I kissed her quickly and then pulled my phone off my belt and dialed the number for Morelli's cell phone.

Three rings later, he answered with a distracted, "Morelli."

"Yo. Tank's on his way to pick you up. Got a line on Carlucci."

"Eyes?"

"Friend of Lula's told her she saw him down in some apartment on Stark Street."

"How many?"

"Tank and five others." I glanced at Stephanie and then turned my attention back to the phone. "Alone?"

He sighed. "Yes. Gotta go." He hung up the phone before I could close my own.

"Alone?" Stephanie asked.

I nodded. "He's going to be the only cop going with them to serve the warrant."

"Why?" she asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"Neither Morelli nor any of our guys want any other witnesses when they pick Carlucci up, Babe," I admitted slowly, unsure of her reaction.

She looked confused for a moment and then raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Ranger, you can't let them do anything that will get them in trouble. Please!"

"Babe, have some faith. The guys know how to handle themselves. It'll all be okay."

"Promise?" she asked, looking up at me.

I kissed her softly. "Trust me, Babe."

"With my life," she whispered before tugging me down for another kiss.

~oooOOOooo~

**Tank's POV**

"Got eyes on him, Vince? You're sure?" I barked quietly through the mic at my throat.

"I'm telling ya, man, I'm looking right at the fucker," he hissed back.

We'd been on the hunt for Carlucci for damn near two weeks. The cops hadn't seen him. None of Stephanie's contacts had seen him. The man was a ghost.

Until now.

Of all the damn luck, one of my girl Lula's old friends had seen the piece of shit hiding out down on Stark Street earlier in the day. She'd called Lula, who'd then called me at work. Santos, Brown, Vince, Hector, Cal, and Joe Morelli were now scattered around the old, run-down apartment building the man had holed up in.

"Any other movement?"

"None in front," Santos, Morelli, and Cal said quietly. I confirmed that by triple checking myself, since I was the fourth at the front entrance.

"All clear in back." Vince, Brown, and Hector were at the building's only other entry point.

"On three."

I counted down and then there was a quiet rush of movement as two men from the back and three at the front moved into the building. Hector and Cal would wait at their respective spots to make sure Carlucci didn't get by us and leave the building.

Santos, Morelli, and I moved up the front stairwell as quickly as we could. Luckily, we met no other tenants on the way up to the third floor apartment. When we reached the third floor, guns drawn, we crept to the door of the apartment we were looking for. The last digit was hanging upside down, but it was clearly the right place. Vince and Brown moved up to meet us at the door.

I held up three fingers, two, one, and then Santos kicked the door in, backing out of the way for the rest of us. Since neither man outside had mentioned movement, we knew Carlucci was inside the apartment's living room to the right. We moved in quickly, guns drawn.

"Johnny Carlucci, you're under arrest for the attempted murder of Stephanie Plum and Carlos Manoso. Keep your hands where we can see them," Morelli shouted. As the only cop in on the arrest, he got to do the honors.

Carlucci stood up slowly, and just as he was about to turn, he began to reach down to the table in front of him. Almost faster than I could blink, Vince darted out and tackled him. Fists flew and Vince continued to beat on Carlucci until I pulled him away. Carlucci started to stand, ready to fight, until he saw the other five men standing just a few feet away, guns trained on his head and chest.

Morelli handed his gun to Bobby, took out his handcuffs, and jerked Carlucci over onto his stomch. He pulled the guy's arms back, secured his wrists with cuffs, and then stood back up. After holstering his weapon, he looked at Santos.

"Help me get him up. He looks kind of heavy. Might be kind of hard to get him up without hurting him."

Santos grinned, tucked his weapon at his back, and moved to stand on the other side of Carlucci. Together, he and Morelli reached down to grab an arm and jerked him up to a standing position, wrenching his shoulders in the process.

"Fuck! Fuck you all! Police brutality, man!" Carlucci screamed.

"I didn't see anything, did you?" Bobby asked me.

I shrugged. "Didn't see nothin'."

"I'll fuckin' take you all down!" Carlucci screamed again.

"Escort him out, Tank," Morelli said, giving me a look. "I'm going to go down and make sure transport's ready."

I nodded once. "We'll make sure the place is locked down tight before bringing him down. Wouldn't want to be accused of leaving his stove on and burning the place down or leaving it unlocked to be robbed."

As soon as Morelli was out of the apartment, Santos kicked Carlucci's feet out from under him. With his hands cuffed behind his back, Carlucci fell straight on his ass. Santos shoved him once with his foot, and Carlucci ended up on his side.

"Please, fuck, don't do this," he whined.

"Shut up," Vince said, lashing out with his foot and hitting Carlucci in the kidney. "That's for trying to pull a gun on us."

"Stand him up," I ordered.

Vince reached down and jerked Carlucci up hard by an arm. Carlucci cried out at the pain on his already-wrenched shoulder.

"This is for nearly getting my boss, my friend, killed," I said coldly.

I threw out my fist, right into his belly. He wretched, nearly throwing up, and if Vince hadn't been holding him up, he'd have gone to his knees.

Vince hauled him back up straight, and I moved to let Santos take my spot.

"This is for our friend Stephanie, someone who hadn't done a thing to you, you fucker," he told Carlucci.

He lashed out with his foot, straight into the man's groin. If neither of his testicles had been crushed by the kick, it will have been a miracle.

This time, not even Vince's hold on his arm kept Carlucci on his feet. He curled up into a ball, knees to his chest, sobbing.

Brown moved around behind Carlucci and readied his foot. "This—" he kicked once at the kidney "—is for the three—" another kick "—innocent old people you did manage to kill." He gave one last kick to the man's kidney and stood back, breathing hard.

"Get up, you piece of shit," I ordered, nodding at Vince.

Vince dragged him up roughly, and he and Santos led the way out of the apartment. On the way out the door, Carlucci "accidentally" ran into the doorframe, with an obviously fake apology from Santos. I locked the door behind us and followed the others out to the waiting SUV.

Joe took hold of Carlucci's arm as we exited the building. He looked at the bruises already forming on Carlucci's face and grinned.

"Too bad you tried to pull the gun. Got your pretty face messed up." He shoved the man into the back seat of the vehicle, banging his head forcefully on the top of the doorframe. "Too bad you're so fucking clumsy, too."

He climbed in beside Carlucci while I slid behind the wheel and Santos got into the front passenger seat. The other men got into the second SUV and pulled out ahead of us. We'd take Morelli and Carlucci to the station and give our statements and then go tell Ranger and Steph the good news.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer still applies. Warning for lemony goodness._

~oooOOOooo~

**Chapter 6  
Stephanie's POV**

It had been about a month since Ranger and I were nearly killed in the explosion at my apartment. We'd grown closer every day that passed, although we hadn't been further, intimately, than kissing and some making out. Bobby, whose nickname was now "The Cockblocker," had been ever vigilant in making sure we knew not to do too much before we were both completely healed.

Ranger had been released by the doctor yesterday, and I knew he was anxious to know if I'd gotten the okay today. He didn't know yet because he was out with some of the guys picking up a skip, but tonight was the night. The doctor had cleared me for, well, everything.

I had big plans for the night, so I stepped into the shower and thought back to last month when Carlucci had been taken down.

~oOo~

"_Ranger, it's been almost three hours! Why haven't we heard anything?" I cried._

_He put his hand on my leg to stop it from bouncing and sighed. "Babe, we'll hear when they get finished taking him down. If something had happened, we'd have heard by now. Patience, _querida_," he said soothingly._

"_I can't help it. I'm worried about the guys."_

"_I know, Babe. Trust me, though. They know what they're doing."_

"_But—"_

_Ranger cut off my worries by pressing his lips to mine. By the time he pulled away, I was breathing heavily and was much calmer than I'd been._

"_Better, Babe?" he asked, smiling and running a finger down my cheek softly._

_I nodded. "Thanks." I smirked. "If you want to kiss me, you don't have to wait until I'm freaking out to do it, you know."_

_He threw his head back and laughed. "Only you, Babe."_

_I grabbed the remote and pressed play. _Ghostbusters_ might help calm my nerves, and I knew it was still in the DVD player from the last time I'd watched a movie._

_Nearly an hour later, the phone rang, causing me to yelp in surprise._

_I paused the movie as Ranger picked the phone up from the couch beside us._

"_Yo."_

_He was quiet for several minutes, making affirmative noises every so often. When he flipped his phone closed, he looked at me, blank face firmly in place._

"_Well?" When he stayed quiet, I whined, "Ranger! Tell me!"_

_Suddenly, he grinned, the smile reaching nearly from ear to ear. "The guys are on their way back to the office."_

_I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him as hard as our sore bodies would allow._

"_Really? They're okay?"_

_He nodded. "Completely."_

"_And Carlucci?"_

_Smirking, he answered, "Tank said he's a little worse for wear, but he'll live. He's all booked up at the station, screaming for his lawyer, but all his injuries can be explained by his resisting arrest and falling down several times because his blood alcohol content was nearly twice the legal limit."_

~oOo~

Once I finished in the shower, I did a quick dry of my hair, using the comb and brush until it hung in loose curls down my back. I left my face free of makeup, save a quick swipe of mascara. Last but not least, I tossled my hair, giving it a carefully constructed messy look.

From the back of the closet, I pulled out the bag from Victoria's Secret I'd hidden when I got home. Lula, Connie, and I had gone shopping earlier today after I'd gotten the all-clear from the doctor. I'd gone simply for something special to wear tonight for Ranger.

The black, lace, flyaway babydoll had flutter straps and a tie-front and came with a matching thong panty. It cupped my breasts, making them look fantastic, and gave me more cleavage than I normally had. The babydoll came down to my upper thighs, so most of my behind was sticking out. I wasn't worried. Over the last month, I'd learned that Ranger really had a thing for my butt. Who was I kidding? Ranger had a thing for every part of my body, much to my delight.

I glanced at the clock and realized Ranger would be home any minute. He'd told me he would grab a shower downstairs before coming up to the apartment, so I suspected he was already in the building. While I waited, I walked out to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water. Being this nervous and excited made me extremely thirsty. It had only been six weeks since I'd had sex, but it had been nearly three years since Ranger and I had first made love. For all intents and purposes, this was going to be our second "first time."

I was sitting on the bed, waiting nervously, when I heard Ranger letting himself into the apartment. My thoughts were frantic. _How should I be posed when he comes to the bedroom?_ Within seconds, I was standing in the bedroom doorway. One arm was resting on the door frame, while the other was bent with my hand resting on my hip. I was trying for casual sexiness, but until I saw Ranger, I wouldn't be sure if I was pulling it off or not.

I heard him kick off his boots by the door and then silence. The moment Ranger rounded the corner into the hall, I knew I was a goner. He came to a standstill, quietly watching me from the other end of the fifteen foot hallway. His eyes raked from my head to my toes and back up again, pausing as they came to my lace-covered breasts. I moved my hand from my hip slowly up my side until I reached my breast and teasingly traced my fingers lightly across the cups of the lingerie.

"It's new. You like?"

"Oh, Babe," he growled softly. "You have no idea."

He began to stalk forward slowly, and I felt a little like I was his prey. That thought sent shivers of excitement down my spine. _Yes, please, run me down and make me yours!_

He stopped within inches of me, snaked an arm around my waist, and pulled me tight against him before whispering, "Don't worry, Babe. Before the night is through, there will be no doubt about you being mine."

I arched my back, rubbing my breasts along his chest, and wrapped my arms around his neck. "So guess what the doctor told me today?" I grinned.

His free hand moved to cup my ass, angling my lower body until I was pressed more firmly against him. "I'm hoping you got released for full duty." He smirked, grinding his hips against mine. "Otherwise, you're in big trouble for being a little tease."

I could feel his erection pressing against me through his sweatpants, the only real barrier separating our lower halves. My thong was so damp from his looks alone that it might as well have not even been there. It served no purpose at the moment other than to tease Ranger with what was underneath the lace.

Moving up to my tiptoes, I brushed my lips across his before whispering, "Make love to me, Ranger."

I gasped when he suddenly scooped me into his arms. He took the small handful of steps to the bed and gently deposited me in the middle of the mattress. Backing off to stand facing me, he swallowed once before speaking.

"_Dios,_ Babe. You are so unbelievably sexy."

I squirmed under his intense gaze, his dark, glittering eyes piercing my soul. "Please, Ranger," I begged.

Without a word, he pulled his T-shirt off over his head and stooped to remove his sweatpants, stepping out of them with ease. When he stood back up straight, I let my eyes roam down his perfectly sculpted chest and stomach to the vee between his hips. His erection jutted from his body, saluting proudly like a good soldier. I licked my lips at the sight, earning a groan from Ranger.

"Maybe later, Babe," he teased. "Right now, I need to be inside you. It's been far too long."

I nodded and reached for him.

He came to me eagerly, covering my body completely with his own. When his hand moved to the juncture of my thighs to test my wetness, I nipped his jaw.

"I'm ready, Ranger. Please, I need yo—"

My words faded away. A long moan rumbled from deep in my chest as he used his slick fingers to open me to him. We both hissed in pleasure as he slid completely inside me in one long stroke. When he was in as far as he could possibly be, he paused to let my body adjust to his size.

I began moving my hips in gentle circles, showing him without words that I was more than ready for whatever he could give me. He leaned down to kiss me, the slow, steady movements of his lips and tongue matching every thrust of his hips. My nails scratched lightly from his shoulders, down his back, to cup his firm, round ass and pull him harder against me.

"Babe," he growled, thrusting deeper in response.

"Harder, Ranger! Please!" I wanted to feel him lose that cool calm he always seemed to have.

I wrapped my legs around him and moved my hands to his chest. Running my nails across his dark nipples, I flicked them as they tightened into little hard points. When he pulled away enough to give himself more room to fuck me, I leaned up and captured one of the hardened nubs with my teeth, biting gently.

"Fuck!" he cried.

He leaned back down, and the angle changed just enough to rub against my g-spot with every thrust. When he reached between our bodies and found my clit, I shuddered, my body right on the edge of the mother of all orgasms. He bent his head and sucked hard at the skin at the base of my neck and shoulder. When I felt his stinging bite, I went over, heat racing through my veins as my orgasm exploded through me.

Ranger gave one last thrust and then I felt the warmth of his release spread through me. After a moment, he tried to pull away, but I kept my legs locked around him and used my hands on his shoulders to help stop his movement.

"Stay, please," I whispered, my breathing still ragged. "I just want to feel you like this for another minute."

He looked down into my eyes and kissed me tenderly. "I'll always stay, Babe. I love you." He smiled softly.

I felt tears prick my eyelids, and I blinked to keep them away. "I love you, too, Ranger. Always."

**The End**


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